Morocco claimed a precious 1-0 victory over Scotland in Boston in Matchday 2 of Group C at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab team to win a match in the current edition of the tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The result lifted Morocco to 4 points, putting them with one foot in the round of 32, while Scotland remain on 3 points ahead of the final round of group-stage matches.
Morocco repeated their superiority over Scotland at a World Cup for the second time, having previously beaten them in the group stage at France 1998.
The victory brought the total number of Arab wins in World Cup history to 17, and marked Morocco's 7th win across all their World Cup appearances.
The match also featured the fastest goal of the 2026 World Cup, as Ismail Saibari opened the scoring for the Atlas Lions after just 70 seconds, converting a precise through ball from Brahim Díaz with a powerful finish into the Scottish net.
Morocco dominated for much of the match, particularly in the first half, controlling play and creating several clear-cut chances that could have doubled their lead.
The Scottish goalkeeper kept out a second goal in the 18th minute, saving a shot from Achraf Hakimi who had received a precise pass from Díaz inside the penalty area.
Bilal El Khannouss squandered a chance to double the lead in the 36th minute after Saibari launched a swift counter-attack, only for the midfielder to fire over the crossbar.
Morocco continued to press at the start of the second half, and Saibari came close to adding a second goal in the 49th minute, but his shot came back off the crossbar.
The Scottish goalkeeper denied a dangerous header from El Khannouss in the 52nd minute, keeping his side's hopes of getting back into the match alive.
Scotland attempted to level the score in the closing minutes, with their most dangerous effort passing harmlessly by in the 85th minute, before the referee blew the final whistle to confirm Morocco's victory and their 3 precious points.